"He’s of a Baker Mayfield mold" - LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier urged to fix "reckless" issues heading into 2025 season

Garrett Nussmeier is one of the top quarterbacks in all of college football going into 2025. While much has been said of Arch Manning, only Arkansas's Taylen Green and Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia have played as many games as Nussmeier in the SEC (13). Experience truly is on his side.

LSU's Garrett Nussmeier after the Texas Bowl in the 2024 season. (Credits: Getty)

Some are even thinking about what he would be able to do when he turns pro. Looking beyond Nussmeier's 2025 season at LSU, PFF's Trevor Sikkema is certain that the Tigers' signal-caller has what it takes to make it big in the NFL:

"Nussmeier is a gunslinger through and through," Sikkema said. "That will make some NFL teams nervous, as he is just 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds, ranking in the 32nd and 5th percentiles for the position in the NFL. He’s of a Baker Mayfield mold, and while there are questions about whether his arm is as good as Mayfield’s, it doesn’t appear to be lacking by NFL standards."

Sikkema isn't alone in his appreciation of Garrett Nussmeier, with the quarterback being one of the current favorites to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Currently, he has odds of +850 according to BetMGM, and only below Arch Manning (+600) among the favorites.

However, the analyst did point out that Nussmeier had some areas to improve in his game, especially in his performances on third down:

"Against zone coverage, he made 10 big-time throws to an equal 10 turnover-worthy plays. He was also a bit reckless on third-and-long, recording three big-time throws and five turnover-worthy plays."

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Brian Kelly on why he would take Garrett Nussmeier over Arch Manning

One person who disagrees with the bookies' favoritism of Arch Manning is LSU coach Brian Kelly. Speaking on the College GameDay podcast on Tuesday, Kelly discussed the possibility of Manning beating Nussmeier for the First Team All-SEC quarterback spot in 2025:

“Look, we hear it every day because (Manning is) from Louisiana. … And listen, there’s another guy that hears it all the time and that’s Garrett Nussmeier, he’s committed, and more than anything else, he’s experienced..."

“All I’m saying is, Nussmeier has seen it. He knows what he’s going to get, there’s a confidence he’ll bring each and every game through experience, maybe even through some scar tissue, that’s going to allow him to be, I believe, the best quarterback."

In 2024, Nussmeier threw for 4052 yards, 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, achieving a QBR of 80.0, ranking 10th among quarterbacks nationwide.